ABUJA SCHOOL DENIES BULLYING CLAIMS, SAYS VIRAL VIDEO OF CHAINED STUDENT 'A STAGED PLAY' (WATCH)

Read Time:2 Minute, 48 Second

The management of Beautiful Beginning Academy, located in Gudu District, Abuja, has refuted claims of bullying among students, as portrayed in a viral clip on Monday.

In the video, some senior students of the school allegedly bullied an SS2 student, only identified as Imtiyas, tying a chain around his neck and ordering him to lie on the floor.

However, the school’s principal, Aaron Ikpe, clarified to reporters on Tuesday that the incident was a playful skit that was misconstrued as bullying. He emphasized the school’s open-door policy, which encourages students to report any concerns to the authorities.

Ikpe further explained that the students themselves arranged for the recording using a device provided by the school, adding that other students in the hostel witnessed the performance, confirming it was not an act of bullying.

“Categorically, I will state that there was no bullying case here at the BBA. There is no bullying case whatsoever. Whatever you saw, I will personally say that it was a make-believe, you know? So, there was no case of bullying.

“I will put it straight to you, and I can give you reasons. We were in school at the time. And the way we run our school, we operate an open-door policy. Students, even from the nursery, come to the MD’s office, to the principal’s office, to express any concerns they might have. We don’t have that kind of bureaucracy. So, if there was any bullying at all, at least one student would have heard about it and reported it to us.

“It wasn’t a case of bullying. They staged a play. Interestingly, they did it in their hostel, and there were other students around watching. So, if it was bullying, are you telling me that those other students watched this ‘play’ and none of them came to report it to us? That in itself proves it was a play.”

The students did it innocently, though perhaps taken to a certain level. Interestingly, let me tell you, the students actually arranged for the tablet they used to record it. The tablet is usually given to them during learning hours and later retrieved,” he added.

Ikpe also expressed shock at the allegation of bullying by family members of the SS2 student, noting that the school had never recorded a case of bullying in its 14 years of existence.

“No such report was made until the sisters came on Monday to tell us there was a bullying case in the school. In fact, my MD was leaving that evening when they came. Out of curiosity, she asked, ‘Okay, what is this about?’ They said it was a bullying case, and she was shocked, just like the rest of us.

“Then she called, ‘Okay, what happened?’ They showed us a video. We were like, ‘Bullied? This kind of thing happened? How? When? Where?’ You know, those are the questions, because it’s quite unusual. In 14 years of existence, we’ve never had a situation like this or a case of this nature,” the principal said.

See video of the alleged bullying below: